


a bit of fluff

by Preach



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: (Literal Fluff), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Complete, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 11:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14976242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Preach/pseuds/Preach
Summary: T'Challa visits a cat shelter. He leaves with a new kitten, and Erik leaves with T'Challa's heart.





	a bit of fluff

 The first thing that strikes T'Challa as he enters the cat shelter is the strong, pungent animal smell. He wrinkles his nose, and out of the corner of his eye, he can see Shuri doing the same beside him.

Shuri quickly gets over her initial distaste. "Oh my god, they're so cute!" she squeals, running over to the cages. 

It's mid-afternoon, and most of the cats in the shelter are napping, lulled to sleep by the noon heat. Some of them blearily blink open their eyes at the commotion, but they largely ignore the new visitors and go right back to their cat naps. 

Shuri squats down in front of the closest cage and begins cooing in delight at its occupant, a little black ball of fluff with bright golden eyes. 

T'Challa smiles at his sister's obvious excitement. After weeks of pestering, T'Challa and his mother had finally agreed to let Shuri keep a pet. Shuri had done a bit of research, and eventually she had suggested adopting a kitten from their local cat shelter. T'Challa is all for it. 

"Hey," a deep voice says from behind T'Challa. "Y'all looking to get a cat?" 

T'Challa turns around, and is struck speechless by the most attractive man he has ever laid his eyes upon. 

He freezes. 

Dark skin, dreadlocks, dimples - the man has the whole package, everything that T'Challa likes. He's so devastatingly handsome that it's almost unfair. T'Challa immediately falls for him, hard. 

T'Challa quickly reads the man's name tag.  _Erik Stevens,_ it says in little black letters. 

"Cat got your tongue?" Erik Stevens says with a teasing smile, after T'Challa does nothing more than blink at him, mesmerized. 

"Y-yes," T'Challa stammers, then immediately gives himself a mental kick. "I mean, yes. My sister and I want to adopt a cat. Not that, uh, tongue thing. Nothing's got my tongue."

T'Challa sticks his tongue out as proof, and then cringes and immediately wants to die. He's such a dork. He's just totally humiliated himself in front of the handsome stranger.

Behind Erik's back, Shuri is facepalming dramatically and exaggeratedly. 

Erik's smile broadens. Thankfully, unlike Shuri, he doesn't make fun of T'Challa. He just turns his back towards T'Challa and bends down to unlock the door of the black kitten's cage. 

T'Challa discreetly checks out Erik's ass as he coaxes the little black kitten out of its cage. 

Erik's got a great ass. Firm, round and perky. 

"You like him, kid?" Erik says, straightening up. He drops the kitten into Shuri's outstretched arms. 

"Aww," Shuri coos, stroking the little kitten. "He's perfect!" 

"His name is Killmonger," Erik says with a completely straight face. 

T'Challa blinks at the cute little ball of black fur cuddled placidly in Shuri's arms. He has never seen anything that looks less like a Killmonger in his life. 

"And that one there is Bonecrusher," Erik continues, pointing at the occupied cage beside Killmonger's. The fat orange cat - Bonecrusher - ignores them, continuing to nap peacefully in a corner.

Erik continues on, naming the cats down the row. "Skinslaughter. Skulleater. Deathbringer. Bloodbeast. The little white kitty below Bloodbeast is Bonemaiden. I just told the manager 'bout their new names yesterday.  My third day here. Now he says I ain't allowed to name the cats any more."

T'Challa can't help but laugh at that, at once amused and appalled.

Erik grins back at him too, his eyes sparkling. His capped golden canines glint under the fluorescent lights. 

T'Challa's heart skips a beat. 

"So you just started volunteering here?" T'Challa asks Erik, trying to make conversation.

"Yup. Doing community service," Erik says. "I'll probably be here for the next few weeks."

"Oh," T'Challa says, already making plans to drop in as often as possible. His schedule for the next few weeks isn't too heavy - it's the middle of the semester, and exams are still over a month away. He thinks that he can squeeze in visits to the shelter - visits to Erik - at least twice a week. 

"Brother, can we get this one? Please?" Shuri interrupts. "I love him!" 

T'Challa pets Killmonger, who stretches and mewls under his touch. The little kitten is really quite cute. 

"All right," T'Challa says. 

"You sure y'all wanna adopt this one?" Erik asks. "You don't wanna check out the other cats first?" 

T'Challa glances at Shuri, who nods vigorously. "Yeah!" 

"Kay, I'll get the paperwork ready for you. Gimme a minute," Erik says. 

"I saw that," Shuri says to T'Challa in an accusing whisper as Erik goes off towards the counter. "You got all flustered just now, you dork. You like him! Mom is gonna freak out if you bring home a delinquent!" 

"He's not a delinquent!" T'Challa protests. "Erik is just a nice man who volunteers at a cat shelter. He does community service!"

"That means that he's a delinquent, dumbass," Shuri says, rolling her eyes. "He's probably being made to work here. You know, court-ordered community service?"

"...Oh," T'Challa says. "Well, I don't really care about all that."

"Ooh, I didn't know you liked bad boys," Shuri says delightedly. "I can't wait to see Mom freak out at  _you_  for a change. I'll help you get his number."

"No!" T'Challa protests, alarmed. "Don't embarrass me!" 

"Oh come on now, I'm just going to help you out," Shuri says. "I know you. You're too shy. If I don't do something, you'll just come to the shelter and pine over him quietly for weeks."

"Hmph," T'Challa huffs. He doesn't want to admit that she's right - that had been his exact plan. 

At that moment, Erik waves T'Challa over. Shuri nudges T'Challa and gives him a little shove forwards.

T'Challa frowns at Shuri and then makes his way over to Erik, trying to will his hands not to shake. His palms are sweaty, and he tries to wipe them on his trousers discreetly. 

"Okay, you gotta fill up this questionnaire and then sign here," Erik says, pushing a small stack of forms towards T'Challa. "Remember to answer all the questions, or my manager will get mad at me again. Then you can take your new kitty home. He's already been fixed and vaccinated, so you don't need to arrange for all that. I'll email his records to you. We'll also arrange for a home visit a couple days later to see how Killmonger is settling in." 

"Home visit?" T'Challa says eagerly, before he manages to catch himself. 

"Yup. You get to see my pretty face again," Erik says, grinning. 

Erik can't possibly be unaware of the effect that he's having on T'Challa. Or maybe he's just naturally flirty? Either way, T'Challa is much too embarrassed to think of a witty response.

His face hot, he bends over the forms instead, scribbling in the replies as quickly as possible. T'Challa scrawls a big loopy signature at the bottom, then pushes the completed forms back towards Erik. 

"I assume that's all?" T'Challa says to Erik. "If that's it, we'll be going, then."

"Oh my God, brother, you're completely hopeless," Shuri sighs. "Look. Erik? This is my brother, T'Challa. He likes you. Here's his number, please call him back."

"Shuri!" T'Challa exclaims, aghast. 

But Erik is already reaching over to take the scrap of paper from Shuri, slipping it into his pocket with a little smile at T'Challa. 

"Call my brother back!" Shuri yells over her shoulder as they leave with Killmonger in his new cat carrier. 

T'Challa feels a hot flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks, followed by a whole different kind of warmth in his chest as Erik winks back at him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated!


End file.
